Siberia, West, 5.6-5.11a
California, United States, North America

Siberia, West, 5.6-5.11a

Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 34.06968°N / 116.17011°W
Activities Activities: Trad Climbing
Seasons Season: Spring, Fall, Winter
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Overview/Approach

Bazooka and Jake Off in above photo  

Bazooka, 5.10b
Dow leading Bozooka, 5.10b*

Some of the last remaining routes for me to explore in Joshua Tree National Park are obviously the most remote. Big Horn Dihedral is one of my absolute favorite routes in the park and is listed in Miramontes guide as being the most remote climb in the entire park. On our hike through to do Big Horn, we passed through Wonderland North. We parked at the backcountry trail head for Boy Scout and Willow Hole trails and hiked to Big Horn Dihedral and then hiked out to Indian Cove. In doing so, we passed by an obvious wall on our left named East Siberia which is one of if not the largest granite face in the Entrance to Wonderland North and marks via Miramontes guide where true Wonderland North starts.  On my next trip, I returned to climb its routes. Approximately a year later I returned to climb the West Siberia routes which are mostly trad vs mostly sport on East Siberia. The walls are perpendicular. 

Glen s Crack, 5.6

Dow leading Glen's Crack, 5.6

It is a quick flat approach hike despite Miramontes calling it 2.5 miles.  It always seems shorter and I typically do it in 40 minutes.  There are far less routes on West Siberia vs East Siberia. They both receive ample sun. The most notable route on West Siberia is Bazooka, 5.10b.  It is short but offers an amazing move to pull a roof. Glen's Crack was high quality for a 5.6 and was on excellent varnished stone. I soloed Jake Off (5.8) as you have to walk off the top of the formation to the left. It is a pretty cool route running 150' to the top.

Leave the trail heading as you would for Gilligan’s Island, Hidden Dome, etc. Stay on the Boy Scout Trail around the left side of Gilligan’s Island until you come to a fork. Take the right fork for Willow Hole. At this point you can make out two obvious features in the distance to the north: Timbuktu Towers straight ahead and Eastern Siberia's massive face to the northwest (East Siberia). Look for the darker wall to the left which is West Siberia.  Leave the Willow Hole trail, well before Timbuktu, on a climbers trail heading west for the base of the wall (marked in 2017). There are several boulder hoping approach options. You are heading for the base of the left side which has a much darker face. To reach Irish Toothache at the far left side takes quite a bit of scrambling. From there you can keep rapping back east until you eventually come to Jake Off on the far right side, the most obvious route, a huge left slanting wide crack to the top of the formation (photo).

Route Description(s)  Routes Listed Left to Right as you face the Wall

  • Irish Toothache- 45’-5.7*/It is a short scramble to get to the base. Irish is a short sport climb on a pillar/tower of sorts at the left end of the West Siberia wall. The rap consists of two solid pitons (2017). With a 70m, you can rap down (to the right) to a ledge at the base of the two 5.6 trad climbs on West Siberia (vs scramble around). Great rock as most of the routes display on West Siberia via dark varnished holds. Dow
  • Glen’s Crack- 100’-5.6*/Both of these 5.6 parallel climbs are decent for the grade. Glen’s is more sustained than Jack. Start up the beautiful varnished seam placing small gear. At the top of this feature, switch cracks, then continue up trending left to clip a bolt not mentioned in the guide. Continue up and finish on an easy crack up and right (on better rock than the left option) to a fixed rappel shared with Jack. Dow
  • Jack- 100’-5.6*/Take your packs as you climb the initial left facing shallow corner (crux) and drop them off on the ledge up and right (rap rings). Then continue up the route which follows the continous obvious crack to the shared rap. The guide references a fixed piece (inferring piton), but I did not see it or see the need for it. Rap back down to the ledge where your packs are and then rap down Bazooka (lower level). Dow
  • Bazooka- 50’-5.10b*/Bazooka contains one of the more entertaining 5.10- moves in the park. Climb the run out edges on good rock to easier ground and place a bomber C4#.3 under the roof. This first section is runout and you need to be competent at the grade. The moves up to the roof are on good rock and are not 5.10 moves. Swing your right hand up the right arete and make a leveraged move with your left foot on the positive lip on the edge of the roof and let your left thigh power the move. A bolt above the roof protects this move as well, but the first piece is a good backup. That roof pull is the only 5.10 move. From there, continue up solid rock via fun movement. Rap the route. Dow
  • RPG- 50’-5.11a*/
  • The Original Route aka Jake Off- 150’-5.8*/If you do this route, you need to walk off (scramble down) the left side to return to the base. Start up the wide right to left diagonal crack and follow this same crack to the top of the formation. It consists of mostly hands, but sometimes the crack flairs. I soloed it and felt comfortable even though some of this rock is grainy and not as good a quality as the other routes on this wall. A short off width roof section is the crux although not sandbagged. There are hand jams and features. On top of the roof, it eases way up until a short exposed and lessor quality rock section. Continue up this flaring crack and then start climbing large features to the top. I passed one bolt about three quarters of the way up that is old and not mentioned in the guide nor needed. Dow



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